The ability to accurately throw a ball is important in many sports, but it is especially important in baseball and softball where a pitcher attempts to throw the ball past the batter. Pitches are judged to be “balls” or “strikes” in reference to a strike zone that includes both horizontal and vertical dimensions. The horizontal dimension of the strike zone is the width of home plate over which a pitch is thrown. Pitches thrown wide of the plate are out of the strike zone and are called “balls” whereas pitches that pass over the plate are within the horizontal strike zone. The vertical dimensions of the strike zone, officially defined as above the knees and below the shoulders of the batter, varies with the height of the batter. The strike zone's dimensions may also vary a little bit depending on the person calling the balls and strikes. Accurate pitching is a difficult skill to master, however, and requires a lot of practice. Good pitching practice not only entails throwing the ball into the strike zone, but learning to throw the ball to particular locations within the strike zone. An effective pitcher has sufficient control to throw pitches at the outer edges of the strike zone, known as “painting the corners” of the plate. A pitcher typically wants to avoid throwing the pitch right down the center of the strike zone, for a batter easily hits those pitches. Thus, one of the most important aspects of pitching is learning to hit the desired areas of the strike zone where that pitch will be called a “strike”, but will be very hard to hit. For example, a pitcher may desire to throw a pitch low and toward the outer corner of the strike zone in an effort to get the pitch called a “strike” while making the pitch very difficult for the batter to hit well. To learn to throw that type of pitch requires the pitcher practice throwing to the various desired locations and to be aware of where the pitch passes through the strike zone over the plate. This practice allows the pitcher to develop the coordination and skill necessary to locate the pitch in the desired part of the strike zone.
It is sometimes difficult, however, for a pitcher to determine exactly where a pitch crosses the plate, and to determine the location of a pitch compared with other previously thrown pitches to achieve consistency. Whether due to the “break”, or curve, of a pitch or due to the pitcher's follow-through, it may be difficult for the pitcher to determine the particular location of the pitch with reference to the plate. Thus, a pitcher typically relies on someone else, such as a catcher or an umpire, who stand close behind the plate to help the pitcher determine the particular location of the pitch with reference to the strike zone when it crosses the plate. Often, however, there may not be someone available to help the pitcher “call” the location of the pitches. Most teams have more pitchers than catchers, so there is a limited number of people available to help. Similarly, pitchers do not have an unlimited number of people who are both competent and willing to be an umpire. Furthermore, pitches may not be called consistently between the various umpires, catchers and coaches who may attempt to help and this may cause more confusion for the pitcher. In addition, some pitchers may choose to practice in private. Thus, although pitchers must practice often to develop their pitching skills, many pitchers find it difficult to practice as often as they would like due to the inability to have their pitches called with consistency and competence.
Various pitching targets have been developed over the years to assist pitchers in practicing their pitching, without the assistance of a catcher or an umpire to catch and/or call the pitches. But those devices have fallen short of providing the vital information the pitcher needs to know about the pitch he just threw: did the pitch hit the strike zone and where did it hit in the strike zone? Many of these prior art targets, such as Easton's Strike Zone, simply provide a target hole through which to throw the ball. Such devices fail to provide a pitcher with adequate feedback as to where the ball passed through the strike zone and don't provide the opportunity to adjust the strike zone to the size the pitcher will most likely be facing. Other prior art devices provide a target for the pitcher to throw at which comprise a target that is hung up on something (such as U.S. Patent Publication No. 20040127308 to Swanson, entitled “Padded Leather Pitching Target). Those devices tend to be bulky and require something to hang them from, making them difficult to use indoors or on undeveloped practice areas. They are not readily adjustable to provide different sized strike zones.
The pitching targets available currently are directed more toward collecting and/or returning the ball to the pitcher than assisting the pitcher in practicing pitch location. As mentioned above, a pitcher needs to learn how to throw pitches in the areas of the strike zone that are hard for a batter to hit, such as the outer portions of the strike zone, and not simply learn to throw pitches directly down the center of the strike zone. Most prior art pitching targets simply consist of some netting with a hole through which a pitcher attempts to throw the ball. Those devices lead pitchers to concern themselves more with getting the ball through the hole, than with placing the ball within the strike zone at locations that are difficult for the batter to hit well. In fact, these prior art devices actually strengthen the idea to just throw the ball directly down the center of the strike zone, which makes hitting rather easy for the batter. These target holes are typically provided in netting that is supported at the outside edges, which provides a large open target area in the middle. This ultimately trains the pitcher to pitch the ball right over the plate. That is not the location a successful pitcher wants to throw the ball when trying to get a batter out.
Other targets, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,250 to Newland et al., are very complex and require substantial set up. Furthermore, these devices do not have an easily adjusted strike zone, are expensive, have targets supported from the outside edges that may effect and/or alter the flight of the pitch which will impact what the pitcher needs to know—did my pitch hit and where did it hit the strike zone?